In Administrative Order (AO) 92-2008 signed last June 30, Baguio Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. also ordered a stop to the dumping of biodegradable materials beginning October 31 and residuals on December 31.
Where will garbage be dumped?
Citing a number of previous administrative orders and memoranda that informed barangays to set up their own materials recovery facilities (MRFs) in preparation for the eventual closure of open dumps, as mandated by the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2003, the mayor said waste generated in the barangays will be brought to these MRFs.
It is in the MRFs where segregated waste from the households will undergo further segregation. Materials that can be recycled will be sold by the barangays, while biodegradable waste will be transformed into compost.
To date however, no MRFs have been put up in the city's 17 solid waste clusters.
The possibility that the mountain of garbage in Irisan will collapse because of the continuous dumping of garbage there was also cited as reason.
The mayor said barangay officials that do not comply with the order will be held administratively liable.
Nod of solid waste board needed
The mayor's order, however, does not sit well with the City Environment and Parks Management Office (Cepmo), the department tasked to haul garbage from all over Baguio.
While the Cepmo views this move as the mayor's way of imposing proper waste segregation, officer-in-charge (OIC) Colleen Lacsamana and assistant department head Engineer Nazita Bañez said this would have to be discussed first with all members of the City Solid Waste Management Board.
Bañez said while the Cepmo could comply in putting a stop to dumping in Irisan and establishing MRFs, this could not be done within the timeline contained in the order.
Lacsamana, for her part, said the capacity of barangays, the compliance rate on waste segregation and other technical aspects will have to be considered first before the order is implemented.
Both were visibly surprised upon reading the order.
"It is not just the government. Public cooperation should be considered," Bañez told Sun.Star. "Compliance on waste segregation is improving," Lacsamana added.
Both said the order could be implemented on an experimental basis and in pilot areas only, while the set up of MRFs is undergoing completion.
Pilot areas include Lourdes Extension, Bakakeng Central, City Camp and City Hall.
AO under question
The AO, which was reportedly prepared by Councilor Galo Weygan is under question, for allegedly being signed with haste.
Weygan, who has long been pushing for the establishment of MRFs and to dispense with having a sanitary landfill, is confident that the deadlines could be met.
He said the mayor assured that P45 million is available from the City Government's supplement budget for the establishment of MRFs. About P2 million is needed for the setup of each MRF.
"It's about time that barangays should comply," Weygan told Sun*Star, recalling that barangays were given enough time to prepare and look for a site where MRFs could be set up.
Bañez, however countered, appropriation of funds for these will take time as this will have to undergo a series of deliberations by the City Council. Even if funds are appropriated, she explained that the bidding process also takes time and could reach the July 31 deadline which the mayor set.
Dumping in barangays feared
Councilor Erdolfo Balajadia, chairman of the City Council committee on environment, also does not subscribe to the idea of stopping dumping in Irisan at this time.
He said the abrupt decision to stop dumping would result to serious consequences like the piling of garbage in the barangays.
Balajadia suggested that the mayor should convene members of the Solid Waste Management Board first so that he can consult them on the feasibility of the deadlines that he set.
"While it has a good purpose, this should be discussed with the solid waste board. Only then can we find out if the deadlines set in the AO are reasonable," Balajadia told Sun*Star.
He said the referral of the AO to the experts will help identify the real issues, while at the same time, solutions and alternative modes of waste disposal can be addressed.
